Life attempt on Donald Trump reflects degenerative US societal structures that have come under stranglehold of jihadists, evangelical extremists, ideologically intolerant terrorists and gun-trotters
K.A.Badarinath
Terror in every form and format has to be rejected in totality. Geographies notwithstanding, violence and acts against humanity has no place among global communities.
Evangelists, Jihadists, Left extremists and private armies have raised their ugly head. They have to be put down in no uncertain terms even if United Nations has dragged its feet too long on terrorism.
Ideological extremists, individuals and groups wedded to dreaded gun culture that spread fast in Europe and United States has added fresh dimension to terrorism, terrorists and their tactics.
Life bid on Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump in Pennsylvania is just a speck in global terror map irrespective of the motive. Ideological intolerance and political one-up-man-ship manifested in United States that’s on campaign mode has to be rejected once for all. There’s no place for such violence and terrorism in democratic debate to elect the next President in USA, be it democrats or republicans.
Prevailing gun culture in US may have had its origins to take on the European settlers and later it transformed to ‘frontier spirit’ in eighteenth century. It’s rather illogical for developed countries that boast of ‘free spirit’ to encourage gun culture of one form or the other within or outside their own territories.
Spread of terrorism and violence of different hues and colour have had their roots in this very western culture. Encouraging migration of jihadis in the guise of freedom has taken its toll. Most Western Europe is going through a churn owing to these jihadi elements that have gained firm foothold in the region leading to violent incidents incessantly.
Similarly, evangelical extremists enrolled as either democrats or republicans have enhanced their footprint and tightened their grip on socio-economic landscape of United States, its polity, institutions and organizations.
Self-proclaimed Left liberalists that take the guise of ‘urban naxals’ in Bharat and eastern hemisphere have huge foundations in Europe and US thereby firmly determining the regions’ policies on migration, citizenship rights to employment. This group has unleashed violence and terror across the globe among academia, intellectuals, scientists, technologists and policymakers thereby breeding ‘intolerance’ of extreme variety.
Added to this narrative jihad is the culture of private armies and gangs in the name of Left extremist ideologies and annihilation peddled shamelessly even after having been rejected by global communities.
Otherwise, how does one explain as to continued attacks on peace-loving Hindus in several of Western geographies? Why is it that ‘coloured people’ and the Asians have not been left to live honourably in these territories, be it America, Canada, Europe or UK? There’s no plausible explanation for huge number of Muslim jihadists getting into United Kingdom’s Parliament. Left gaining credence in French political tapestry is something unimaginable.
It’s only the Americans that need to elect their leader in November 2024 Presidential elections. Global communities can only support and complement these efforts made by US to ensure that political violence, evangelical, jihadists, Left extremists or gun-trotting individuals or groups do not subvert the democratic process.
Like foreign powers made desperate attempts to torpedo elections in Bharat earlier this year, it’s eminently possible that aliens meddle with US elections. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently said that there was evidence of China trying to influence US elections as in the past i.e. 2016 and 2020. These inimical forces may do so again this time round. President Xi Jinping’s Chinese Communist Party would never concede to having done it in past or attempting intervention this time round.
But, Federal Election Commission’s reports suggest otherwise. Apart from China, several others may be in process of spending hundreds of millions in dollars to influence outcome of the US elections. Coupled with such foreign interference, jihadists, evangelical extremists, gun trotting groups and Left extremists may have a field day.
Failure of governance structures in United States to stop these forces is glaringly exemplified by the latest attack on Donald Trump. There’s no place for such machinations in democratic dialogue, elections and sane debate sans intolerance. Restoring credibility and relevance of governance structures in US should become priority of both democrats and republicans. Holding smooth and fair elections is an imperative.
Being one of the oldest democracies may not be enough. Sustaining these credentials should be on top of the mind for Americans in general and leadership in particular!
(Author is Director & Chief Executive of New Delhi based non-partisan think tank, Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies)